David Howarth, MP for Cambridge, said "At a time when local NHS services
are being cut for lack of funds, the government refuses to give cost
details for this database designed to track the population. Ministers
should come clean about how much of our money they'll squander on this
white elephant."

Ross Anderson, Professor of Security Engineering at the University of
Cambridge, said "The report highlights how the government ignores
independent advice about a looming ID database fiasco, and only listens to
soothing words from companies who would profit from fat ID card contracts."

Martin Lucas-Smith, Cambridge Green Party candidate, said "The government
doesn't dare release all the facts about its nonsensical ID card scheme
because that would expose the chaos, waste and confusion of this flawed
policy to public view."

Former Conservative City Councillor Chris Howell said: "The government
seems determined to press ahead with its plastic poll tax in the face all
evidence that it will be both expensive and dangerous."

Andrew Watson, spokesman for Cambridge NO2ID, reiterated the group's advice
to renew their passports to avoid getting caught up in the ID cards
database. "The government is forcing passport holders to pay for ID cards
through increased passport fees. The next price hike in October will take
passports to twice their 2003 cost, and there will be more rises after
that. In March then-Home Secretary Charles Clarke invited anyone opposed to
ID Cards to avoid compulsory fingerprinting and registration by renewing
their passport early. Everyone should follow Mr Clarke's advice to avoid
damage to both their purse and their privacy."

ENDS

For more information, please contact Chris Lightfoot ( chris@no2id.net,
07879 642410) or Andrew Watson ( andrew.watson@no2id.net, 07710 469624).

Alice Douglas, David Howarth's Press Officer, can be reached on 07779 155418.

Margaret Wright, Martin Lucas-Smith's Press Officer, can be reached on
01223 362128.

Chris Howell can be reached on 07779 326808.

Prof Ross Anderson can be reached via email:  Ross.Anderson@cl.cam.ac.uk

NO2ID is a national, non-partisan organisation campaigning against the
introduction of compulsory identity registration in the UK. See:
 http://www.no2id.net

The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee report "Identity Card
Technologies: Scientific Advice, Risk and Evidence" can be downloaded here:
 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmsctech.htm

On Sunday 9th July the Sunday Times published leaked email revealing the
chaos within the government's ID cards project. See:

'ID cards doomed, say officials', David Leppard, The Sunday Times:
 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2262437_1,00.html

On March 30th, the Identity Cards Act 2006 became law, allowing the Home
Office to turn passports into 'designated documents' for its ID card
scheme. The new 'United Kingdom Identity & Passport Service' (UKIPS) will
soon refuse to renew passports unless the holders attend an official
interview, agree to be fingerprinted and give a wide range of personal
information for a "National Identity Register" database. Independent
security experts agree that this single centralised database will be a
prime target for hackers and identity thieves, putting everyone recorded on
it at risk of identity fraud.

Speaking in the House of Commons on 21st March 2006, Charles Clarke (then
Home Secretary) said: "... anyone who feels strongly enough about the
linkage not to want to be issued with an ID card in the initial phase will
be free to surrender their existing passport and apply for a new passport
before the designation order takes effect." See:
 http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debate/?id=2006-03-21a.181.2

The Home Office has announced that passports prices will increase from 5th
October:

 http://www.passport.gov.uk/news/news.asp?strAreaNo=320&intelement=1127

Previously the Home Office has said that it expects passport prices to go
up to £93 or more to pay for the ID card scheme.